Antistatic finish for nylon

ABSTRACT

A PROCESS FOR RENDERING NYLON TEXTILES ANTISTATIC, AND THE COMPOSITION WHICH IS DURABLE TO LAUNDERING, THE COMPOSITION COMPRISING A SOLUTION OR SOLVENT DISPERSION OF AN ETHANOLAMINE OF THE FORMULA   R-O-CH2-CH(-OH)-CH2-NH-CH2-CH2-OH   WHERE R IS AN ALKYL RADICAL OF 8 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS. THE INVENTION INCLUDES A NYLON TEXTILE SO TREATED.

United States Patent "O 3,684,567 I 'ANTISTATIC FINISH FOR NYLON Philip B. Roth, Bridgewater Township, Somerset County,

NJ. (8 Copper Hill Road, Somerville, NJ. 08876) N Drawing..Filed Nov. 27, 1970, Ser. No. 93,405 Int. Cl. B44d 1/44; B32b 27/34 US. Cl. 117--138.8 N 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A process for rendering nylon textiles antistatic, and the composition which is durable to laundering, the composition comprising a solution or solvent dispersion of an ethanolamine of the formula where R is an alkyl radical of 8 to 18 carbon atoms. Th invention includes a nylon textile so treated.

This invention relates to a method of imparting durable antistatic properties to polyarnide (nylon) textile materials. The method involves impregnating the polyarnide textile material with a solution or dispersion of a compound represented by the following formula:

on noornbnortmnomomon I wherein R is an alkyl radical of about 8 to 18 carbon atoms, and heating the textile material at an elevated temperature. It relates further to the polyarnide textile material resulting from this method.

Textile fibers, yarns and fabrics made from polyarnide polymers become electrostatically charged whenever and wherever friction is applied to them. Therefore, many disadvantages are encountered during mill processing and fabricating and more so during the end use of the manufactured materials. Aside from the discomfort to the individual wearing the garment which accumulates static electricity, there is also the serious problem of the attraction of dust and dirt particles which results in the garment having a soiled appearance. This usually causes frequent launderings or dry cleanings resulting in poor fabric life due to degradation caused by detergents and bleaches and the normal abrasion resulting from such processing.

The elimination of the static electricity in fabrics would ease the manufacturers problems, give more comfort to the consumer and add greater life to the textile materials. It would also reduce hazardous conditions found in such places as operating rooms, or in other places where ignition from static electricity on garments could be dangerous.

Antistatic treatment of polyarnide textile materials is well known and has been employed in the past. However, many of these treatments have marked disadvantages, such as a lack of durability to laundering, and discoloration on the fabric, especially White fabric.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method and a composition for preventing the formation of static electricity on polyarnide fibers and textiles.

A further object is to provide an antistatic finish for polyarnide fibers which is durable to laundering.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds.

It has now been discovered that durable antistatic properties can be imparted to polyarnide textile materials by (1) impregnating the textile material with a solution or dispersion of a compound of Formula I and (2) heating (curing) the impregnated textile material at an elevated temperature. By this procedure the polyarnide tex- 3,684,567. Patented Aug. 15, 1972 tile material acquires antistatic properties which are durable to laundering.

The compounds (Formula I) used in this invention are known and may be prepared very conveniently by heating an alkyl 2,3-epoxypropyl ether with ethanolamine. A typical preparation is described in the examples which appear later.

The amount of compound of Formula I applied to the polyarnide textile material by the process of this invention should be between 0.10% and 2.4%, preferably between 0.15% and 0.6%, based on the weight of the polyarnide material.

The compounds are applied to the textile materials from solution or from aqueous dispersions. The solvents useful are suitable inert organic solvents, preferably solvents having boiling points below C. Representative solvents which may be used include the lower aliphatic alcohols such as ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, and so forth; aliphatichydrocarbons such as hcptane, hexane, and so forth; halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons such as dichloroethylene, chloroform, trichloroethane, and so forth; ketones such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and so forth; esters such as ethyl acetate; and miscellaneous solvents such as benzene, dioxane, dimethylformamide,.etc.

Aqueous dispersions or emulsions can be prepared with the assistance of solvents, such as toluene or amyl acetate, and dispersing or emulsifying agents, preferably of the nonionic type such as a condensation product of 1 mole of nonylphenol with 9 moles of ethylene oxide.

The solutions and dispersions of the compounds can be applied to the textile materials by any convenient procedure, such as by padding, dipping, spraying, and so forth, as well known in the art.

The impregnated textile materials are dried to remove the solvent or water. A drying temperature above the boiling point of the solvent or water is employed. Normally a temperature of 225 F. is suificient, but higher temperatures can be used. The heat curing step is critical to the obtaining of durability of the antistatic finish to laundering. The treated fiber should be heated to a temperature not less than about 300 F., preferably not less than 350 F., nor more than about 375 F. for about 5.0 to about 0.5 minute. The longer period of time is used for temperatures at the lower end of the temperature range and the shorter period for temperatures at the higher end. If desired, the drying and heat curing steps can be performed in one operation, employing the same critical temperature limitations.

The polyarnide textile material can be in the form of fibers, both filament and staple, threads, yarns, woven and nonwoven fabrics, and so forth.

EXAMPLE 1 Into a suitable vessel there were placed 242 parts 1.0 mole) of 2,3-epoxypropyl n-dodecyl ether and 61 parts (1.0 mole) of Z-aminoethanol. The mixture was heated on a steam bath for 2.5 hours. The product was then cooled and recrystallized from hexane. The product separated out as a white plate-like solid of melting point 59- 60 C., and was N-(Z-hydroxy-3 -dodecyloxypropyl)ethanolamine of the formula:

0H 012E250 ombnonmncmomorr EXAMPLE 2 Five pad baths were prepared by dissolving varying amounts of N-(2-hydroxy-3-dodecyloxypropyl)ethanolamine in isopropyl alcohol. Pad baths A, B, C, D and E contained 0.15%, 0.3%, 0.5%, 1.2% and 2.4% respectively, of the ethanolamine compound. The pad baths were applied to pieces of nylon taffeta by a standard 3 padding procedure obtaining a 63% wet pick up. Swatches of treated fabricwere dried at 225 F. and were then heated (cured) at 250, 300? or 350 F. for two minutes.

The treated fabrics were conditioned for several hours at 43% relative humidity and 72 F. The presence or absence of antistatic properties were determined by rubbing the fabric with a glass rod and holding the fabric over cigarette ashes. If no attraction for the ashes was noted, the fabric was considered to be antistatic.

The washes were carried out in a home-type automatic washing machine using water at 140 F., a synthetic detergent, and a washing cycle recommended for delicate fabrics.

The results of the tests are shown in Table I. Fabrics A, B, C, D and E correspond with pad baths A, B, C, D and E, respectively, and contain 0.095%, 0.19%, 0.38%, 0.76% and 1.5% respectively, of the ethanolamine com pound.

Nora-A indicates antistatic properties; S indicates static properties.

I claim:

1. A process for imparting durable antistatic properties I to polyamide textile materials comprising impregnating the textile materials with a solution or dispersion of a compound of the formula OH ROGHZJJHCHZNHCHQGmOH wherein R is an alkyl radical of about 8 to 18 carbon atoms, and heating the impregnated textile material at a temperature of between 300 and 375 F. for from 5 to 0.5 minutes.

2. The process of claim 1 where the compound is N- (2-hydroxy-3-dodecyloxypropyl)-ethanolamine.

3. The process of claim 2 where the curing temperature is at least 350 F.

4. The process of claim 3 where the amount of ethanolamine applied is at least about 0.5% based on the weight of the fabric.

5. A polyamide textile material impregnatedwith'a solution or dispersion of a compound of the formula wherein R is an alkyl radical of about 8 to 18 carbon atoms in an amount sufiicient to effect antistatic properties to the textile material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1953 Paul 1l7139.5 X 9/1969 Gallaughel' et al. 117-139'.5 X

US. Cl. X.R.

117- -1 39 .5 CQ; 2528.8; 260-584 C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 5,68 ,5 7 Dated August 5, 97

Inventor(s) PHILIP B ROTH It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, after the inventor's address, insert assignor to American Cyanamid Company, Stamford, Conn.

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of April 1973.

(SEAL) Attest: I

EDWARD M.PLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents F ORM PO-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC fi0375-p69 us. GOVERNMENT Pumlms OFFICE: 1969 o-JGa-zm a 

